1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to imaging techniques, and more particularly to displaying images in actual size.
2. Background of the Related Art
Images of people, animals, objects and so forth may be displayed on a display screen (such as a television screen, a movie screen, a computer monitor and the like) are in sizes which may be either smaller than or larger than their actual size. For example, a relatively large or small person, animal or object (such as a tall basketball player, an elephant, an ant, an integrated circuit (IC) chip and so forth) may appear on such screen or monitor to be larger or smaller than the actual size thereof. This reduction or enlargement may be done in order to let viewers see the details of those images if they are small, or to fit those images in their entirety on the screen if the sizes of the images exceed the screen dimensions. However, a person viewing a particular image on a television screen, a computer monitor or the like may be unaware of the actual size of the viewed image.
In the above-described situations, since the image on the screen may not be indicative of the size or dimensions of the person, animal, or object, the viewer may not be able to determine the actual size thereof unless the viewer has prior knowledge pertaining to such actual size. Some the actual size thereof unless the viewer has prior knowledge pertaining to such actual size. Some viewers, such as certain adult viewers, may have such prior knowledge and may use it when viewing the displayed images. In other words, these adults may draw from their mental "databases" which may have numerous facts, statistics and real life experiences; and subconsciously they may perceive people, animals, objects and so forth in their actual size when looking at them on the screen of a movie theater, projection television, and so forth. As a result, such adults viewing a 7'1" basketball player on such screen may realize that the basketball player is quite tall in comparison with other people, and may approximately envision the size of that basketball player. However, other viewers such as young children may not have vast "databases" of knowledge, and may be confused as to the actual size of a displayed image. For example, a child viewing an ant on a displayed screen whose displayed size is several times its actual size may be confused as to the ant's actual size.
Accordingly, it may be desirable to have a video system wherein a viewer may be able to view an image of a desired person, animal, object and so forth on a display screen in its actual size.